The Crusades: A Cultural History

Catalog description

This seminar follows the trajectory of the Crusades in Europe and the Middle East from the late eleventh to the fifteenth century. The first crusade, started at the initiative of pope Urban II in 1095, brought Jerusalem under Christian rule for the first time since the early seventh century. This event was perceived as crucial in both Muslim and Christian sources, and the transformation of the architecture of the city soon began, with mosques being converted to churches, some of them thus returning to their initial function. Other buildings, such as the Dome of the Rock, built as an Islamic sacred space, were given new meaning. The direct contact between Christians and Muslims also had an effect on Europe, which now increasingly heard first-hand reports from the Holy Lands, and received objects such as glass, metalwork, and textiles produced in Syria or Egypt for its church treasuries.